Online rummy has taken the gaming world by storm from the time it started. Playing rummy online provides players with an immense opportunity to play their favourite game at their own pace. Rummy going online also meant that the game can be accessed from anywhere and can be played anytime, provided that you have an internet-enabled mobile device.
Online rummy also added a touch of excitement as players stood a chance to win massive cash prizes and other exciting rewards. However, everything was not smooth for online rummy games, as there were several concerns over the legality of this fascinating card game. Many were of the opinion that online rummy is a game of chance and not of skill; but we know for sure that online rummy is a skill-based game that requires time and effort to master.
To clear the air around legality of online rummy, we need to understand what differentiates skill games from chance games.
What are Skill Games?
Skill games, as the name suggests, are games that require skills to win them. A player can win such games only if he practices, knows the rules, and executes his skills properly. There are strategies that a player needs to apply to stay one step ahead of the opponent. Awareness is one of the key factors that can determine how you fare at online rummy games.
Rummy, by a long margin, falls under the category of skills games. The skills required by rummy players to master online rummy include decision making, analytical reasoning, time management, logical thinking, basic math, etc. Players also need to have basic understanding of the game, must be aware of all the rules, have some tips and tricks up their sleeves, and must do sufficient practice to start bossing the game.
What are Chance Games?
Chance games are purely based on luck or include a nominal amount of skill. Such games are dependent on the external factors rather than the skills of players. Players have no control over the outcome, as such games are dependent on chance or luck. If luck is on your side, you may start winning, but such games can never be called skill based games.
Chance games have been played for a long time where no skill is required to win. For example, dice games such as snakes and ladders fall under chance games. In such a game, a player has to just toss the dice and see what number comes up to make his move. A player cannot credit himself for the victory because his luck played a part in the win and not his skills.
Legality
A game of chance involves betting or wagering according to the Supreme Court’s judgement in 1996. The quote is as follows:
“The expression ‘gaming’ in the two Acts has to be interpreted in the light of the law laid-down by this Court in the two 1957 cases, wherein it has been authoritatively held that a competition which substantially depends on skill is not gambling. Gaming is the act or practice of gambling on a game of chance. It is staking on chance where chance is the controlling factor. ‘Gaming’ in the two Acts would, therefore, mean wagering or betting on games of chance. It would not include games of skill like horse racing”.
A skill-based game requires a certain amount of skills to win. The exact quote of the judgement states:
“A game of skill, on the other hand – although the element of chance necessarily cannot be entirely eliminated –is one in which success depends principally upon the superior knowledge, training, attention, experience and adroitness of the player. Golf, chess and even rummy are considered to be games of skill. The Courts have reasoned that there are few games, if any, which consist purely of chance or skill, and as such a game of chance is one in which the element of chance predominates over the element of skill, and a game of skill is one in which the element of skill predominates over the element of chance. It is the dominant element –“skill” or “chance” — which determines the character of the game”.
Therefore, playing online rummy in India is absolutely legal and can also be played for cash. Now that you are sure about games that fall under skill games, try online rummy on India’s most trusted online gaming platform, Paytm Rummy Bo.
Ajinkya Rane is an avid sports writer who has special interests in card games. He writes mostly about online rummy games to educate rummy enthusiasts and also to keep them entertained. Ajinkya has been playing online rummy and winning on a consistent basis. He likes to share Rummy, Poker, and Call Break knowledge that he has accumulated over the years; knowledge includes tips and tricks to win card games. With over 3 years writing experience in the gaming industry, Ajinkya brings valuable insights for card game players with every piece of content that he pens down.
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